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For an Apple
For an Apple After Ernalda came to live at the Storm stead, she was bored with the food choices. She hungered for something crisp, yet sweet. Orlanth told Eurmal to search, and find a crisp sweet treat for his beloved. Eurmal searched, and heard stories of a demi-goddess, Apple Eris, who selfishly guarded trees that bore a fruit like no other fruit. Eris had firm green apples, a little sharp but held their shape even when cooked. She had shiny red apples, crisp and sweet, so tender they crumbled if cooked. Eurmal approached her and said, "King Orlanth commands that you give me apples, that he might please his queen." Eris replied, "When Yelm the Emperor heard of my apples, he sent many to command me to provide apples for his table. If I would not give my fruit to an Emperor, why should I share with a King?" Eurmal never was one to rely on reason to accomplish what trickery could do, and so he devised a plan. "You're ugly, and no one wants your stupid apples, anyway!" he shouted at the goddess. Eris angrily threw the core of a mostly eaten apple at the trickster to drive him away. Eurmal picked up the apple core, turned and mooned the goddess, and went on his way. Eurmal packed mud and moss around the core, and then carefully covered the entire thing with gold leaf, shaping the messy garbage inside into the rounded shape of an apple... and apple of GOLD! Eurmal casually walked passed Eris and her grove of trees, shining and buffing his golden apple. She gave him the stinky eye, and he smiled as he turned to her. "Oh, it's Green and Red apple lady! May you take joy in your apples. I myself have found the source of something better. I have a grove of trees that grow GOLDEN apples!" Eris was beside herself. Not only did this fool have apples, sacred to and possessed only by HER, but his apple was new, more special even than her tart green or sweet red apples. She had to have one, and would use the seeds and her magic to quickly grow a grove of the golden apples, large enough that every day she would feast on apples, apples of green, red and gold. "How interesting... why, I'd share a green apple for one of your golden apples," she said, smiling charmingly. "Why, I'd share TWO of the crisp sweet red apples, for just one of your golden apples." Eurmal is rightly known for two things: Being a fool, and making a fool of any who make deals with him. In the end, Eris agreed to one basket of firm green apples, plus two baskets of crisp sweet red apples, and even threw in the baskets, for just ONE new, special, golden apple. Orlanth gave apples to Ernalda and all her women, and they kept the seeds and tended groves, and for those who know the secret, they can eat in season the crisp and sweet red apples, and even magically dry the sharp green apples and with water and special magic spices, in darkest winter those who accept Eurmal's secrets can eat apples cooked, but still pleasingly shaped from the dried green apples.